Chapter 2 Alice
by sea.forest.beckoner
Summary: Chapter Two of Alice
1. Chapter 1

2

The next morning was busy. The Gordon family was getting ready, and packing up with the Hakes family fussing around. Soon enough, Alice and her family were sitting on top of the wagon with bags stuffed around her.

"Remember, we're just 10 minutes walk away from you," Uncle Robert said, "let us know if you need us!"

"Don't worry, I know," Father said, "well, goodbye." They all waved.

"Thank you!" Alice shouted back.

"Wesley, is the house nice?" Mother asked after a while.

"It was pretty nice back in the days," Father said, "I'm sure it still is."

"All I'm worried about are new friends," Starla said. Typical Starla. Alice knew she would probably spend an hour trying to pick a first day dress. Too self-involved, she thought, she remembered Starla had loved to look at herself in a mirror with a smug expression. It would always annoy Alice. Back in Ontario, Starla had always a group of friends who worshiped her. Her mother had worried about her being too vain. Alice knew that deep inside, Starla was not vain. She'd heard a lot of her 'friends' say that she was shallow. They didn't know the real Starla then. Starla was deep, but you would have to find that one special person who could see. Alice wondered if she was deep. Alice frowned, being deep wasn't such a good thing these days. People won't trust you. She wished she could be less shy. Cowering beside Starla was not exactly friendly. And anyway, Starla would get angry at her. Alice sighed. She was the odd one out. After a while, they reached a big clearing. A grand, strong, and quite big, cottage stood in the middle. There was a path up to the door and lots around the house. Alice shivered with excitement of following them later on.

"Well, we're here," Father said, "does it please you Rose?"

"It's simply darling," her mother replied with shining eyes, "well, best get into moving in."

"They've left beds, tables, everything I suppose except for blankets for us," Father said, "just get your personal items." Alice jumped off and landed gracefully as last time. Nope, it wasn't luck, Alice said for sure. Starla was getting off carefully with her father's help. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Can you please stop that?" Starla complained, "it's mussing up my dress." Alice smiled when her back was turned. She knew Starla envied her, her musical talent, and bravery. Starla was scared of everything, from mice to heights. She happily skipped into the house. As she entered, she slowed down to admire the surrounding. The walls were a rich brown and everything was clean. It was just a bit dusty. This house was perfect. She hurried out the back door, she gasped in amazement. There was a meadow, yellow and bright in the sunshine. And off to the side was a path to the ocean. Alice almost clapped her hands in happiness and hurried down the path. The beach was filled with white sand instead with red. The ocean was merrily rolling blue. Alice could sit there for hours but she heard her mother calling her name.

"Alice, Alice!" Her mother called. Alice ran up to her. With her hair out, with shining blue eyes and crimson cheeks. Mother relaxed, Alice was out of her sad melancholy state. She never classified her as a beautiful child but she was, at certain times. It is too bad she isn't this charming everywhere, she thought.

"Oh mom, isn't this wonderful!?" She asked as she hugged her around the waist. Mother patted her hair.

"Well, hurry up and bring your bags upstairs," she said as she kissed the red soft cheek of the girl. Alice hurried upstairs. There were five bedrooms. It was a pretty big house. Her own room, her first one. She knew Starla probably already chose the nicest one. She looked around, her parents had chose the biggest room. Her brother chose a beige colored one. Starla chose the pink one. Alice looked at the two remaining rooms. One was lavender colored and one was light butterscotch yellow. Alice knew the lavender room was the most appropriate guest room, but Alice liked the butterscotch hue. It was welcoming, the whole room was. She ran in. She saw a bed in the corner, bigger than hers back in St. Catharines. And there was a wooden desk with a chair, and a wardrobe. Such a homey room, she thought. Her bags were already on the bed. Courtesy of Fletcher.

"Thank you Fletcher!" Alice said, at the doorway of his room.

"Actually, Starla beat me to it," Fletcher mumbled awkwardly.

"Thank you, Starla!" She said, moving to her room. Starla smiled.

"Well, which room did you take?" Starla asked.

"The butterscotch one," Alice said happily. Starla smiled again. Alice hurried to her room again. She opened her carpetbag. Starla and Fletcher had gotten better bags but Alice liked the antique. She laminated the bed with her gold colored cover. Alice smiled smugly. She noticed there was a big window, bigger that Starla and Fletcher's. She looked out. She squealed at the sight. It was the ocean view with the happy meadow and beautiful white sand beneath the clear blue sky. She sighed in satisfaction. All depression left her. All that mattered was that she was here. In her mind were all sorts of things she would do in the day. Next week would be Christmas, they already had all the presents for all of the extended families. Alice had some relatives in Charlottetown. Mother had said it would be useful because sooner or later, Fletcher and Starla would be going to college. Alice would be going to take the exam for the Entrance. But it would be in a week she really would want to worry about that. Alice was a good student, her forte being English, and literature. Alice read a lot. She loved it. She read too much, her mother would always scold her for that. She told her she would have to get eye glasses. Alice stopped crazily reading after that comment, she just couldn't get eye glasses, she was ugly enough she thought. But now, her reading habits were still a bit too much. But she was too excited for reading. And so, she sucked the sweet air around her. She sighed once again. She turned and went down the stairs, she stopped at every step to look at portraits of the family. The first one was a jolly looking old man. Likely her grandfather, who passed away last year. She moved onto the next one, it was a petite old woman. Her eyes shone like stars and her hair was a noticeable white. She moved down one step. She saw a picture of a girl, around sixteen years old. Her thick hair was brown, and her face was a startling white, her eyes were big and timid. Alice knew this one easily; this was her Aunt Ophelia who died around 20 years old because of consumption. They said she was the delicate one of the family. There were no more pictures after her so Alice skipped happily down the other 10 flight of steps. Her mother was in the parlor.

"Alice! Can you come here?" She shouted. Alice went to her.

"There is a package that has come for us from Ontario; can you go to the post office to receive it?" Her mother said while trying to pin up a picture frame. Alice nodded. Her mother handed her the note.

"Oh dear, I forgot, do you know where it is?" She asked. Alice shook her head. Her mother gave her the instructions. After a long lecture about not getting lost, Alice went to the hall closet, pulled out her brown coat with a white fur rim and set off. She walked in the country side for about 5 minutes until she reached town. As she walked up and down roads with wagons going everywhere, people stared at her. It was such a small town that everyone knew her in gossip. They figured her to be Alice by the descriptions. Alice was walking with her head down and did not look at anybody. She entered the post office. The man behind the counter looked at her.

"I'm here to receive a package," Alice said, "it is addressed to Wesley Gordon." She added to the man's blank stare.

"Oh, of course, of course," he looked at her curiously then went and came back with a big package. She stared at it. She could not carry such a big thing.

"Need any help?" A voice came from behind her. A boy stood there, with astonishing red and hair and green eyes. He was taller than Alice but seemed to be the same age. And so they fumbled around with it until they got the right position. They carried it out of the office and onto the streets.

"Where to?" He asked quite cheerfully.

"To the Gordon cottage," she mumbled, embarrassed.

"You must be Starla then," he said, he stared at her as if wondering about the beautiful blonde description muttered around the town.

"I'm her younger sister," Alice said, "Alice." She stared at him shyly under her long eyelashes. Her blue eyes glowed under the white fur of her hood. Her silky brown hair fluttered around her face. Her pale face was flushed from the effort of carrying the package. The boy stared, he had heard of Alice Gordon, but was described as a plain girl. This was hardly the same for him.

"O-oh," he stuttered, her blue eyes seemed to have hypnotized him.

"Who are you?" She asked in a small voice, uncomfortable by his stare.

"Oh right," the boy returned back to his usual self by looking away from those eyes, "I'm Sawyer Anderson, but known as Red around here. I would shake your hand right now, but I'm kind of handsful right now." Alice blushed.

"You can drop it off here then," she said, "that's my house, right down this lane. I can drag it there."

"No, no, no," Sawyer said, "I don't mind." Clearly upset that she misunderstood him. Alice gave him another of those timid smiles. He smiled.

"How old are you?" He asked.

"I'm thirteen," she answered, "you?"

"Fourteen." He said. So we are close in age, he thought. He looked at her frail and delicate arms. Soon they arrived upon the door of the cottage.

"It's a nice house." He commented. She smiled at him, revealing pearly white teeth.

"Thank you, Sawyer," she said, "I really appreciate it." He muttered back a "welcome". Then he turned and left, he waved. Alice waved back. She knocked on the door. Her father answered it.

"Ah, Alice, how did you carry that?" He asked as she tousled her hair.

"Sawyer Anderson helped me carry it here." She answered.

"He must be the son of the general store owner." He said, "red hair, green eyes?" Alice nodded.

"He's a fine boy." Her father peeked sideways at her. Alice blushed again. They carried the package upstairs and it turned out to be her mother's very big china set and other clothes.

"How on earth did you carry this, Alice?" Her mother asked. Her father gave her a glance.

"A friend helped me." She answered.

"Thank goodness none of these glasses broke," Mother said, relieved, "thank you, Alice." Alice smiled.

"It's getting late," Father said, the clock struck six.

"I'd better get dinner on the table." Mother said. She left. Starla moved the box into the parlor. Alice and her got the dishes, cups, and utensils out and loaded the drawers in the kitchen. Her mother walked in.

"Thank you, girls," she said gratefully, admiring their work, "dinner's on the table, go now." She shooed them into the dining room. Dinner was a quick one as time was concerned. Father had to go fix up the hay in the stables for the horses. Mother still had to unpack many things in her bedroom and in the kitchen. Fletcher, Starla and Alice were done everything pretty much. After dinner, Alice washed up and went into her bedroom. She sat up in her bed with her legs inside the covers. She took out Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë work. Alice wasn't a huge fanatic about it, but she thought it had quite romantic scenes. Suddenly, her mind flashed to when Sawyer Anderson had so intently stared at her. She could feel blood rushing to her cheeks. It was the first time a boy had ever stared at her that way before. She quickly shunned the thought away.

Tomorrow, her mother would take her to the Town Hall for auditions for the Christmas concert. Alice had performed before large audiences, but she still did not like the fact of singing in front of a whole new town. Her mother came in.

"It's time to go under the covers, my sweet," Mother kissed her on the forehead, "have a goodnight sleep for tomorrow's audition." It was as if she had read Alice's very mind. Rosalie knew her daughter was nervous, but she knew Alice would be able to do it. She couldn't wait to show off her daughter's talent. Fletcher was not going to perform; he was too sensitive about these matters.

Alice lay down and her mother blew out the candle. She looked behind her, out the window. The stars shone brightly like holes of light in the perfect shade of dark blue. Night was peaceful when the mind is peaceful, Alice thought, and nodded off.


	2. Chapter 2

2

The next morning was busy. The Gordon family was getting ready, and packing up with the Hakes family fussing around. Soon enough, Alice and her family were sitting on top of the wagon with bags stuffed around her.

"Remember, we're just 10 minutes walk away from you," Uncle Robert said, "let us know if you need us!"

"Don't worry, I know," Father said, "well, goodbye." They all waved.

"Thank you!" Alice shouted back.

"Wesley, is the house nice?" Mother asked after a while.

"It was pretty nice back in the days," Father said, "I'm sure it still is."

"All I'm worried about are new friends," Starla said. Typical Starla. Alice knew she would probably spend an hour trying to pick a first day dress. Too self-involved, she thought, she remembered Starla had loved to look at herself in a mirror with a smug expression. It would always annoy Alice. Back in Ontario, Starla had always a group of friends who worshiped her. Her mother had worried about her being too vain. Alice knew that deep inside, Starla was not vain. She'd heard a lot of her 'friends' say that she was shallow. They didn't know the real Starla then. Starla was deep, but you would have to find that one special person who could see. Alice wondered if she was deep. Alice frowned, being deep wasn't such a good thing these days. People won't trust you. She wished she could be less shy. Cowering beside Starla was not exactly friendly. And anyway, Starla would get angry at her. Alice sighed. She was the odd one out. After a while, they reached a big clearing. A grand, strong, and quite big, cottage stood in the middle. There was a path up to the door and lots around the house. Alice shivered with excitement of following them later on.

"Well, we're here," Father said, "does it please you Rose?"

"It's simply darling," her mother replied with shining eyes, "well, best get into moving in."

"They've left beds, tables, everything I suppose except for blankets for us," Father said, "just get your personal items." Alice jumped off and landed gracefully as last time. Nope, it wasn't luck, Alice said for sure. Starla was getting off carefully with her father's help. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Can you please stop that?" Starla complained, "it's mussing up my dress." Alice smiled when her back was turned. She knew Starla envied her, her musical talent, and bravery. Starla was scared of everything, from mice to heights. She happily skipped into the house. As she entered, she slowed down to admire the surrounding. The walls were a rich brown and everything was clean. It was just a bit dusty. This house was perfect. She hurried out the back door, she gasped in amazement. There was a meadow, yellow and bright in the sunshine. And off to the side was a path to the ocean. Alice almost clapped her hands in happiness and hurried down the path. The beach was filled with white sand instead with red. The ocean was merrily rolling blue. Alice could sit there for hours but she heard her mother calling her name.

"Alice, Alice!" Her mother called. Alice ran up to her. With her hair out, with shining blue eyes and crimson cheeks. Mother relaxed, Alice was out of her sad melancholy state. She never classified her as a beautiful child but she was, at certain times. It is too bad she isn't this charming everywhere, she thought.

"Oh mom, isn't this wonderful!?" She asked as she hugged her around the waist. Mother patted her hair.

"Well, hurry up and bring your bags upstairs," she said as she kissed the red soft cheek of the girl. Alice hurried upstairs. There were five bedrooms. It was a pretty big house. Her own room, her first one. She knew Starla probably already chose the nicest one. She looked around, her parents had chose the biggest room. Her brother chose a beige colored one. Starla chose the pink one. Alice looked at the two remaining rooms. One was lavender colored and one was light butterscotch yellow. Alice knew the lavender room was the most appropriate guest room, but Alice liked the butterscotch hue. It was welcoming, the whole room was. She ran in. She saw a bed in the corner, bigger than hers back in St. Catharines. And there was a wooden desk with a chair, and a wardrobe. Such a homey room, she thought. Her bags were already on the bed. Courtesy of Fletcher.

"Thank you Fletcher!" Alice said, at the doorway of his room.

"Actually, Starla beat me to it," Fletcher mumbled awkwardly.

"Thank you, Starla!" She said, moving to her room. Starla smiled.

"Well, which room did you take?" Starla asked.

"The butterscotch one," Alice said happily. Starla smiled again. Alice hurried to her room again. She opened her carpetbag. Starla and Fletcher had gotten better bags but Alice liked the antique. She laminated the bed with her gold colored cover. Alice smiled smugly. She noticed there was a big window, bigger that Starla and Fletcher's. She looked out. She squealed at the sight. It was the ocean view with the happy meadow and beautiful white sand beneath the clear blue sky. She sighed in satisfaction. All depression left her. All that mattered was that she was here. In her mind were all sorts of things she would do in the day. Next week would be Christmas, they already had all the presents for all of the extended families. Alice had some relatives in Charlottetown. Mother had said it would be useful because sooner or later, Fletcher and Starla would be going to college. Alice would be going to take the exam for the Entrance. But it would be in a week she really would want to worry about that. Alice was a good student, her forte being English, and literature. Alice read a lot. She loved it. She read too much, her mother would always scold her for that. She told her she would have to get eye glasses. Alice stopped crazily reading after that comment, she just couldn't get eye glasses, she was ugly enough she thought. But now, her reading habits were still a bit too much. But she was too excited for reading. And so, she sucked the sweet air around her. She sighed once again. She turned and went down the stairs, she stopped at every step to look at portraits of the family. The first one was a jolly looking old man. Likely her grandfather, who passed away last year. She moved onto the next one, it was a petite old woman. Her eyes shone like stars and her hair was a noticeable white. She moved down one step. She saw a picture of a girl, around sixteen years old. Her thick hair was brown, and her face was a startling white, her eyes were big and timid. Alice knew this one easily; this was her Aunt Ophelia who died around 20 years old because of consumption. They said she was the delicate one of the family. There were no more pictures after her so Alice skipped happily down the other 10 flight of steps. Her mother was in the parlor.

"Alice! Can you come here?" She shouted. Alice went to her.

"There is a package that has come for us from Ontario; can you go to the post office to receive it?" Her mother said while trying to pin up a picture frame. Alice nodded. Her mother handed her the note.

"Oh dear, I forgot, do you know where it is?" She asked. Alice shook her head. Her mother gave her the instructions. After a long lecture about not getting lost, Alice went to the hall closet, pulled out her brown coat with a white fur rim and set off. She walked in the country side for about 5 minutes until she reached town. As she walked up and down roads with wagons going everywhere, people stared at her. It was such a small town that everyone knew her in gossip. They figured her to be Alice by the descriptions. Alice was walking with her head down and did not look at anybody. She entered the post office. The man behind the counter looked at her.

"I'm here to receive a package," Alice said, "it is addressed to Wesley Gordon." She added to the man's blank stare.

"Oh, of course, of course," he looked at her curiously then went and came back with a big package. She stared at it. She could not carry such a big thing.

"Need any help?" A voice came from behind her. A boy stood there, with astonishing red and hair and green eyes. He was taller than Alice but seemed to be the same age. And so they fumbled around with it until they got the right position. They carried it out of the office and onto the streets.

"Where to?" He asked quite cheerfully.

"To the Gordon cottage," she mumbled, embarrassed.

"You must be Starla then," he said, he stared at her as if wondering about the beautiful blonde description muttered around the town.

"I'm her younger sister," Alice said, "Alice." She stared at him shyly under her long eyelashes. Her blue eyes glowed under the white fur of her hood. Her silky brown hair fluttered around her face. Her pale face was flushed from the effort of carrying the package. The boy stared, he had heard of Alice Gordon, but was described as a plain girl. This was hardly the same for him.

"O-oh," he stuttered, her blue eyes seemed to have hypnotized him.

"Who are you?" She asked in a small voice, uncomfortable by his stare.

"Oh right," the boy returned back to his usual self by looking away from those eyes, "I'm Sawyer Anderson, but known as Red around here. I would shake your hand right now, but I'm kind of handsful right now." Alice blushed.

"You can drop it off here then," she said, "that's my house, right down this lane. I can drag it there."

"No, no, no," Sawyer said, "I don't mind." Clearly upset that she misunderstood him. Alice gave him another of those timid smiles. He smiled.

"How old are you?" He asked.

"I'm thirteen," she answered, "you?"

"Fourteen." He said. So we are close in age, he thought. He looked at her frail and delicate arms. Soon they arrived upon the door of the cottage.

"It's a nice house." He commented. She smiled at him, revealing pearly white teeth.

"Thank you, Sawyer," she said, "I really appreciate it." He muttered back a "welcome". Then he turned and left, he waved. Alice waved back. She knocked on the door. Her father answered it.

"Ah, Alice, how did you carry that?" He asked as she tousled her hair.

"Sawyer Anderson helped me carry it here." She answered.

"He must be the son of the general store owner." He said, "red hair, green eyes?" Alice nodded.

"He's a fine boy." Her father peeked sideways at her. Alice blushed again. They carried the package upstairs and it turned out to be her mother's very big china set and other clothes.

"How on earth did you carry this, Alice?" Her mother asked. Her father gave her a glance.

"A friend helped me." She answered.

"Thank goodness none of these glasses broke," Mother said, relieved, "thank you, Alice." Alice smiled.

"It's getting late," Father said, the clock struck six.

"I'd better get dinner on the table." Mother said. She left. Starla moved the box into the parlor. Alice and her got the dishes, cups, and utensils out and loaded the drawers in the kitchen. Her mother walked in.

"Thank you, girls," she said gratefully, admiring their work, "dinner's on the table, go now." She shooed them into the dining room. Dinner was a quick one as time was concerned. Father had to go fix up the hay in the stables for the horses. Mother still had to unpack many things in her bedroom and in the kitchen. Fletcher, Starla and Alice were done everything pretty much. After dinner, Alice washed up and went into her bedroom. She sat up in her bed with her legs inside the covers. She took out Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë work. Alice wasn't a huge fanatic about it, but she thought it had quite romantic scenes. Suddenly, her mind flashed to when Sawyer Anderson had so intently stared at her. She could feel blood rushing to her cheeks. It was the first time a boy had ever stared at her that way before. She quickly shunned the thought away.

Tomorrow, her mother would take her to the Town Hall for auditions for the Christmas concert. Alice had performed before large audiences, but she still did not like the fact of singing in front of a whole new town. Her mother came in.

"It's time to go under the covers, my sweet," Mother kissed her on the forehead, "have a goodnight sleep for tomorrow's audition." It was as if she had read Alice's very mind. Rosalie knew her daughter was nervous, but she knew Alice would be able to do it. She couldn't wait to show off her daughter's talent. Fletcher was not going to perform; he was too sensitive about these matters.

Alice lay down and her mother blew out the candle. She looked behind her, out the window. The stars shone brightly like holes of light in the perfect shade of dark blue. Night was peaceful when the mind is peaceful, Alice thought, and nodded off.


End file.
